Tag Archives: Hired Gun

Just because Roy Oswalt told a friend he would accept a trade to the Mets doesn’t mean he’s in Manhattan on the off-day looking at apartments.

OSWALT: Won't come cheap.

Depending on what “friend’’ you talk to, Oswalt said he’d also accept trades to Philadelphia, St. Louis, the Yankees, Texas and Washington Nationals. However, if it means getting out of Houston, a chance at the playoffs and perhaps an extension, the list of places suddenly favorable to Oswalt could grow.

The Mets have been getting sterling pitching from rotation fill-ins RA Dickey and Hisanori Takahashi – together they are 9-2, but Takahashi is only 2-1 as a starter – but that’s not to say all their pitching concerns have been answered.

We don’t know how long this run will last as neither Dickey nor Takahashi are proven over the long haul. We don’t know that about Jon Niese, either, and John Maine continues to throw 88.

If the Mets are to get Oswalt, they should strike now while it is early. The closer to the deadline, the more the Astros will be asking.

The odds are long against pulling the trigger on this deal, but the Mets must seriously consider making a decisive and early run at Roy Oswalt to get an edge on the field before the trade deadline.

Make the run now as the price figures to spike in July.

And, the sooner the better, while the Mets are still considered a competitive team. How long that lasts is questionable with three-fifths of the rotation – suspect to begin with – out indefinitely.

How often will Omar Minaya get a second chance like this? After holding a pat hand during the winter, the Mets’ rotation is in shambles but now there’s the prospect of Oswalt, which would give them instant credibility as a contender. Minaya can redeem his winter with a simple phone call.

After playing a listless pat hand, he’s been now dealt a chance at an ace. Johan Santana, Oswalt and Mike Pelfrey would be as good as any trio in the league.

Oswalt is owed $31 million for this year and next with a $16 million club option for 2012. That’s a lot of money, but it is better well spent than Oliver Perez’s deal.

Oswalt also makes more sense than Cliff Lee in that his cost is definable, while Lee wants to test the market. Trading for Lee over Oswalt would be foolish, as it would be dealing for a hired gun.

For as bad as the Mets have played at times, they are still only five games behind the Phillies in the NL East. After winning two of three over the Yankees, there’s a sense of growing optimism. However, getting an Oswalt would legitimatize that optimism and spurn it to another level.